


Cloudy Cover

by AnnieMallistic



Series: Weather the Weather [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: AKA the one where Annie needed to work through her uncertainty regarding Seth's future, Can't believe there's no NSFW in this who am I, I'm not tagging Dean in this because I don't have a deathwish, M/M, Minor appearance from Kevin Owens the roster dad, Seriously though idek what this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 09:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15726549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieMallistic/pseuds/AnnieMallistic
Summary: Dean's coming back to Raw tonight. Is Seth happy about it? Turns out that's not a simple question to answer.





	Cloudy Cover

Finn's face lit up as he stepped into the locker room. "Oh, hey, you're here."

Seth turned to him, mouth twitching up at one corner as he pulled down the hem of his merch shirt.

Finn set down the two water bottles he'd picked up from catering and crossed to Seth, placing an arm around his waist and reaching on tiptoes to kiss him twice.

The third kiss that Seth initiated was deeper and more desperate as he curled both fists into the lapels of Finn's jacket. In the bustle of everything going on this evening Seth had almost forgotten that it had nearly been a full week since they'd seen each other.

Finn hadn't forgotten though, and he almost wished he'd kicked the door shut on his way in. But he also knew that Seth's segment was coming up very shortly and they didn't have nearly enough time for what Finn had in mind.

When Finn pulled back it was with difficulty and heaving breaths. "God, I missed you."

Seth hid his smile in Finn's neck and let Finn's arms close him in. China had been great. Life-changing, even. But fuck if it hadn't been lonely.

Not that Seth had been permitted to actually _be_ alone for anything other than sleeping. But being constantly surrounded by people was stifling when all you wanted was to be surrounded by one.

It was flattering and confidence boosting for a media tour to have been compiled entirely around him, but he'd have done anything to have Finn with him. 

And god, Finn loved to travel. He was so attentive and respectful of other cultures and just soaked everything up like a sponge. Seth wished he could have spent an evening watching the bright lights of the Shanghai skyline flicker back at him in the reflection of Finn's water-pale eyes. 

Seth's schedule had been so packed out that he'd only managed to send Finn a couple of photos each night before passing out for the next early start. He'd have to remedy that later.

"I'm never going away without you again," he mumbled into Finn's shoulder.

Finn merely laughed and hugged him tighter.

They were both smiling when they pulled apart.

"So where is he, anyway?" Finn asked, head craning around the corner. "I need to laugh at him for pulling a Corbin with his hair."

Seth's smile fell a little and he took a seat on the bench to pull his kickpads on. "You know where he is."

Finn almost felt guilty for asking. Dean was where Dean would always be when given a choice between his Shield brothers. Dean was with Roman.

"I guess I do," Finn replied, scuffing his boot along the floor a little. "Is he pumped, though?" 

Seth sighed. "I think so. He didn't talk much."

Finn's stomach sank. He wasn't sure exactly how long the two of them had been sitting in the production truck out of sight, but it was at least the length of the show so far, if not even longer.

"He's probably just jumpy," Finn reasoned. "We both know what it's like, those post-injury jitters."

"Yeah," Seth nodded. "I _do_ know he's psyched for Renee."

"Who isn't?" Finn sat, placing a hand on Seth's, where he was fumbling with his wrist straps. Finn took over. "So how do you feel about it?"

Seth's fingers twitched as if they wanted to curl into a fist but thought better of it. "I'm really glad he's back."

Finn nodded, mostly to himself. That wasn't an answer, and they both knew it. Everyone from the talent to the crew were ecstatic when someone returned from injury, it was a given. It didn't tell Finn anything he needed to know but he couldn't gauge Seth's mood well enough yet to know how far he should push. 

Dean Ambrose held dominion over a dark sequestered part of him that Finn wasn't sure Seth knew he was privy to. Dean was woven into the very threads of what made Seth Rollins thrive in this business, and he didn't think those strings could ever be unpicked. 

Finn tried really hard not to let it get to him that Seth had recently gone on record touting Dean as his wrestling soulmate. After all, Seth and Dean had a wealth of history as both teammates and opponents that Finn could never hope to scratch the surface of. 

And yet he found himself doubting it. He wouldn't dare question Seth's own evaluation out loud, but somewhere inside Finn knew that if they were talking soulmates, Seth was his. And Finn was pretty sure soulmates couldn't be one-sided. 

Seth could practically hear the cogs turning in Finn's head. Seth didn't know how to tell him that he was feeling both nothing and everything at once about Dean's return. His brain was abuzz and deathly quiet. It was unnerving.

"Do you...know where they're going with it?" Finn asked gingerly.

Seth slowly shook his head.

They were 6 days off from the pay per view and besides the fact that Dean would be in his corner Seth had zero idea what was happening. 

He didn't know if he was losing the match, and thus his last shot at the belt that had come to mean so much to him, or whether he was winning the championship back with Dean's help. He didn't know if he was losing because Dean would turn on him, or whether he would win and _then_ Dean would turn. Everything was still up in the air this late in the game and it was making Seth anxious. 

Finn whistled. "They're cutting it fine."

"I feel bad," Seth said into his lap. "That this is what he's been brought back for. He should have an actual match."

Finn looked down at him and smiled sadly. Of course that would be Seth's priority. Not that Seth was still stuck in this title chase that was slowly but surely killing his buzz. No, Seth was concerned that being in his corner wasn't a good enough reason for Dean to come back. Like supporting him wasn't a role worthy of a man who was supposed to be his brother. 

Finn patted him on the shoulder. "It'll come. Just try to be happy." Seth looked up and quirked an eyebrow. "You've gotta look happy."

Seth _was_ happy. But he knew what Finn was getting at. Seth couldn't let the uncertainty rattle him too much, because the responsibility of making this thing believable always fell to him. Whether that was the curse of being the one to break the Shield or whether that was simply the curse of being Seth Rollins was up for debate. He had to act like Dean was practically the second coming or either angle wouldn't work. 

"Yeah, I got it."

"Especially with the shit you pulled while you were away." Finn grinned and uncapped one of the water bottles. "His fans want your head on a platter."

It took a second for Seth to remember what Finn was talking about. The damned interview.

He threw a hand out. "I didn't mean it like that and you know it. They took it completely out of context."

Finn nodded. There was no known universe in which Seth would wish ill will on Dean Ambrose or be grateful for his absence. In fact it took at least a full month after Dean was pulled out for Seth to get back on even keel. Then again, that might have been more to do with slotting JJ into the storyline than anything else.

However, Finn had read the interview and therefore its subsequent shrouded subcontext. 

"I know. But you've gotta be worried." Finn took a seat, and one of Seth's hands. He rephrased. "I know you're worried."

Seth squeezed Finn's hand while scritching his fingertips along his hairline. Sometimes he wished that Finn didn't know him so well, just so that he could carry on burying his head in the sand and painting on an agreeable smile. But that's not how they worked. Finn would always push him, always call him out on his bullshit. And above all, Finn would always be concerned in situations where no one else would see anything untoward. 

The return of a friend, an enemy, a partner, and someone who had been irrefutably integral to Seth's career since the second he stepped into FCW. What could possibly be bad about that? Surprisingly, the answer was 'a lot'. 

"If they don't turn him..." Seth looked up, eyes open windows. "God, Finn, I can't go back to the tag division."

Finn stayed silent, watching his face intently as if to say 'go on', while he stroked a thumb over Seth's knuckle. 

"I was...stagnating there. It's treated like a joke and I'm not afraid to say it. And Shield is better than a plain jane title chase." He sighed. "I love Dean. And I would tag with him six ways from Sunday. But I'm having the best run of my career, and if it's taken away..."

"What if they do turn him?" Finn, ever the devil's advocate.

Seth huffed out a joyless laugh. "Then why? What did I do? He forgave me for The Authority, and if it's supposed to be jealousy over JJ then what was I supposed to do, refuse to do my job?"

"He's your favourite opponent."

Seth's entire expression tightened, and somehow it bolstered Finn in his own rumination over soulmates. It wasn't as cut and dry as Seth had made it sound on the podcast; Finn could see it on his face. 

"Maybe..." Seth said slowly, eyes sparkling with the challenge even as he pressed on. "But that doesn't mean there's a reason for it right now. Or that I even want it."

"It's never made sense to me," Finn said, tapping one finger on his chin. "I come from somewhere where an alliance doesn't automatically take you out of singles competition."

"Exactly," Seth agreed. "Why can't we do that?"

That's what was so frustrating about the possibility of a reunion lasting longer than Sunday evening. The brass had been pretty good so far at keeping he and Roman on the same page without tying Seth to the big dog's leash. 

But then again, it was always different with Roman. Even when they did tag you'd be hard pressed to ever see the full blown Shield fist bump, because the risk of associating Roman with anything but the main event was simply too great.

But Seth and Dean? The Shield fist bump would close out the show tonight, always inexplicably gluing them together.

If Seth could be sure that next Monday Dean would do his own thing, and Seth would do the same - title or not - then he would be at peace with whatever happened. But that could never be guaranteed. And it was as frustrating as it was scary. 

"What if he doesn't want it either?" Seth asked quietly. 

Finn didn't know what to say to that. In his ever so humble and not at all incredibly biased opinion, Dean should be grateful to be in any sort of angle with Seth, on the same side or not. Not everyone was that lucky. 

"Then he's a prick."

Seth burst into surprised laughter and Finn followed his lead, glad that he hadn't held back. 

"So," Finn started, a little more cautiously. He tried to make his tone as casual as he could. "Are you still riding with me tonight?"

Immediately Seth frowned. "What, you think I want to hitch along with the married couple? And also Renee."

Finn choked on his water, which only made Seth cackle again. Before he had even stopped spluttering Seth had attached himself to Finn's mouth. When he pulled away Seth kept him close with a hand on the back of Finn's neck.

"Of course I'm with you."

Finn curled a hand around Seth's wrist. "I was miserable without you," he whispered.

Seth closed his eyes and laid his forehead on Finn's. "I know. I'm here now."

Finn definitely didn't sniffle. Definitely not.

He got to his feet and passed Seth the other water bottle. "So did you hear about the dark match?"

Seth got to his feet grudgingly. He was surprised no one can come to tell him his cue yet, it must have been getting close to the end of the show by now. "Me and Dean, I'm guessing?"

"Mmm, you're not wrong. But you're not right either."

Finn grinned at him when Seth lifted a brow. Seth's face brightened immediately. "Fuck, really? I did wonder why you hadn't changed."

He nodded. "You got me and Braun."

"Nice. So I guess they've got Kev and..."

Seth trailed off when Finn's face fell. The second Seth opened his mouth Finn held up a hand to stop him.

They'd more than exhausted the subject of Baron Corbin. Finn had spent months lying awake in Seth's arms lamenting his spot on the card, his lack of storyline. Neither of them could have imagined his frustrations would have been answered by a tepid feud with Corbin that had extended so far that he was stuck in a rubber match at the second biggest show of the year. But god if they hadn't ranted and raved about it every week since. 

Finn missed the days when he was booked according to his merits, where his opponents didn't have to resort to taking shots at his size - an angle that had been yanked straight from blue brand's recent history, and was going down just about as well with the fans. 

"Just wanna say one thing," Seth pleaded, palms out. Finn lowered his hand. "It'll be over soon. After Sunday it'll just be a few more house shows and then you'll be away from him, okay?" 

Finn smiled, but it was a little hollow. He desperately hoped Seth was right. "Come on," he said, inclining his head.

They met Kevin in the corridor. "I was just coming to get you. D and D have just gone out."

As the three made their way to gorilla Kevin asked Seth all about China, and when his replies came out short and monotonous Finn changed tack and asked for updates on Sami. Kevin gave them, happy to have been asked, but he also shot Finn a questioning look that Finn answered with a short shake of the head. Kevin nodded and clapped Seth on the shoulder.

When they arrived, the rest of the guys were already there. Finn steadfastly attempted to ignore the way Seth's focus immediately settled on Dean. And as Corbin had already arrived Finn didn't even have the heart to joke about his hair and merely said hi. 

Dean's aura was stifling, and matched his new look to a tee. He was wound like a coil despite Seth's best attempts to check he was okay.

Giving up, Seth uncapped the bottle Finn had given him and wet his hair, handing the empty back to him. He stood by Finn, a jittery mess, watching the screens as Drew and then Dolph ran their respective mouths, and then Kurt made the call for Seth.

Finn squeezed his hand quickly before Seth moved to give Dean a quick hug. The look in Dean's eyes was closed off and unfamiliar, but Seth swallowed the uncertainty down. "This is your night. You're gonna kill it."

Dean's mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile and that would have to do, because Seth's music was already playing and it was time to do this thing.

Seth took the microphone that was offered to him, and Finn was grateful that the last look he cast back before pushing through the curtain was right at him. Finn nodded, and Seth strode out there.

Finn turned to the monitor, watching and listening as Seth hammed it up on the mic, throwing insults at his rivals and quipping about travel complications. As Dean's cue grew closer he was getting visibly more agitated, and Finn didn't think it made him a coward to admit he was a little afraid of this new Ambrose. He just hoped it didn't affect Seth in the same way or this segment was going to die on its arse.

'You have to look happy' Finn repeated inwardly, staring intently at Seth's face through the screen. 

Seth said the magic "L" word that Dean had become so synonymous with, and suddenly his music was playing for the first time in 9 months and the roar of the crowd as he left gorilla genuinely gave Finn goosebumps.

Whether true to his role, or true to his soul, Seth was beaming. Finn watched as they both ran to the ring, slipping back into the synchronisation that came so easily to the pair, but something still felt off. They squared off with the two inside the ring, Seth allowing Drew to overcome him so that Dean could make the save, and then Seth was bouncing around the ring, hyping him up just as much as the crowd was.

Finn frowned lightly. Dean looked like he was rattling apart from the inside out, bouncing from rope to rope. And was it just Finn's paranoid imagination, or every time Seth made moves in his direction was Dean moving away? 

Finn was aware of Kevin standing at his flank, arms crossed, eyes intent on the monitor just the same.

Seth signed the contract that Dean had thrust into his chest - a little harder than necessary - and he was beaming again, yelling and fist pumping. And then Seth tried to hug Dean from behind, and he shrugged out immediately, hauling ass over to the turnbuckle and shaking his head like he was trying to dislodge something.

Finn felt that his face had closed off, but he was surprised to hear Kevin make a noise in his throat beside him. Kevin backhanded Finn in the chest softly and said, "we're taking him out later."

Finn paused and then nodded mutely. He watched, honestly a little awestruck, as his friend exited the curtain with Corbin and Finn promptly got into position beside Braun. Sometimes Finn had to remind himself that he wasn't the only one looking out for Seth, wasn't the only one who cared. Kevin could see it too. 

The next few minutes passed in a blur of running to the ring, and then sticking as close to Seth as possible once he was inside it. The way he placed himself between Seth and Dean was probably just on the strong side of 'too obvious' but Seth shot him an amused glance a couple times so Finn didn't care too much.

The match passed in obvious fashion. Seth took most of the damage, obviously, with this being his angle in the first place. Finn and Braun kept the apron warm until they each got a potshot at their respective rivals, and the end of the match built to a strong Shield finish.

Seth had taken Finn's concerns at nothing but face value when he'd been told of Dean's return, but quickly realised how valid they were. Up until now Dean had felt like a stranger wearing the face of a friend. But now that they were back in the ring he and Dean seemed to be gelling again, old chemistry greasing the wheels. 

Seth was feeling good. And having Finn in his peripheral vision fully jumping off the apron in anticipation of the stomp didn't hurt.

The roof blew off when Dean hit Dirty Deeds, and Finn nodded along as Seth jumped back into the ring and tapped out the three count beside the ref. When the bell rang Finn climbed back into the ring and straight into Seth's arms. Seth huffed a quick laugh into Finn's ear and everything felt okay. 

After celebrating and meeting fans at ringside they all made their way back up the ramp. Seth's mood was way better, if his laugh when Finn stole a high five from Braun from under his nose was any indication. 

And to his credit, Dean's seemed much better too. When they got back through the curtain Seth initiated another hug, and this time Dean reciprocated with a small smile.

"Good to have you back," Seth smiled.

"Good to _be_ back," Dean replied. "You got a ride?"

Seth recognised that he was only asking to be polite, but he was touched anyway. He looked back at Finn, and every last bit of tension in his body melted away. "Yeah, I'm good." He smiled tiredly. "You going to find uce?"

Dean grinned his signature lopsided grin, and for the first time Finn felt like he was looking at somebody he recognised. "Just after I find my hot-shot commentator wife."

They said goodbye, and Finn didn't miss the way Seth sadly watched him go, even if he wasn't aware of it himself. "Kevin's taking us out," he announced. 

Seth turned back to him, surprised smile on his face. "Yeah?"

"Where we going, Kev?" Finn asked, never looking away from Seth for a second.

"Waffle house." Kevin didn't even hesitate, and in fact was already on his way out of gorilla. 

Finn laughed, shaking his head a little. "That good with you?" 

"Yeah," Seth chuckled. "Waffle house. Gotta give you both a slideshow from my time away."

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I LIKE Dean Ambrose.


End file.
